Various types of motor vehicles, such as pickup trucks and SUTs (sport utility trucks), are provided with tailgates that provide access to cargo beds. The tailgates for these vehicles are often hinged at the bottom and operatively connected to the rear end of the cargo bed. To access the cargo bed, the tailgate may be opened and closed, either manually or by a power control apparatus. When in the closed position, the tailgate is secured to the vehicle using fork-bolt type latches on lateral edges of the tailgate that operatively engage with striker pins extending from sidewalls of the cargo bed.
In some instances, it may be desirable to selectively remove the tailgate from the vehicle. However, with conventional hinge mechanisms, removal of the tailgate requires specific tools and removal is often cumbersome. The detachability of the tailgate is even more problematic in vehicles where the tailgate may carry components that need to be electrically connected to a power source. For example, in a tailgate that utilizes a power control apparatus to release or engage the latching mechanism, it is necessary that the tailgate be electrically connected a power source, which entails providing suitable wiring that extends from the tailgate into a portion of the vehicle body where the power source is located. However, in instances where it may be desirable to selectively detach a tailgate from the vehicle, the wiring leading from the tailgate to the vehicle body becomes problematic in that it cannot be easily detached without destroying the wiring. Accordingly, there is a need for tailgate hinge mechanism that may be used to selectively remove the tailgate from a vehicle with minimal effort, as well as a need for a tailgate wiring system for providing power to the tailgate that may be easily detached to permit selective detachment of the tailgate from a vehicle body with minimal effort.